castanyes blaves

Random ramblings about some random stuff, and things; but more stuff than things -- all in a mesmerizing and kaleidoscopic soapbox-like flow of words.

12/28/2004

Good news from someone whose grandfathers fought, one as a volunteer, against the francoists and whose maternal second-grandfather died in a German concentration camp.
(unprofessional "homemade" translation)
MADRID(Reuters) - La ministra de Cultura, Carmen Calvo, afirmó el martes que asume todas las conclusiones de la comisión de expertos que recomendó la devolución a la Generalitat de Cataluña de algunos de los documentos de la Guerra Civil que se encuentran depositados en el Archivo de Salamanca.
The minister for culture, Carmen Calvo, confirmed on Tuesday assuming all the conclusions from the experts commission recommending the return to the Generalitat de Catalunya of some of the Civil War's documents currently deposited in the Archivo de Salamanca.
La comisión de expertos, integrada por catorce historiadores, juristas y archiveros, recomendó la semana pasada trasladar a la Generalitat de Cataluña aquellos documentos que le fueron expoliados por el franquismo y que se encuentran depositados en el Archivo de Salamanca.
The experts commission, integrated by fourteen historians, lawyers and archivists, recommended last week the transaction to the Generalitat de Catalunya of those documents that were expoliated by the franquism and that are now deposited in the Archivo de Salamanca.
"Se está pidiendo algo legal y legítimo que viene de 1936 con arreglo a una Constitución vigente en aquel momento frente a un golpe de Estado que da lugar a una dictadura, en la que mueren muchas personas utilizando esos documentos", dijo Calvo en una rueda de prensa en el Congreso de los Diputados.
"What is being pursued is a legal and legitimate claim according to the Constitution coming from the facts occurred in 1936 in what was a coup d'état that degenerated in a dictatorship, in which many people died using those arguments", said Calvo in a press conference in the Congreso de los Diputados.
"Conviene trasladar esto a la opinión pública y cerrar heridas en este país, tener memoria y que nadie se sienta ni vencedor ni vencido de nada", dijo la ministra, que desmintió que el Gobierno trate de enfrentar a Castilla y León con Cataluña.
"It is important to share it with the public opinion to close open wounds in the country, maintain the memories and avoiding the feelings of having won or lost anything", said the minister, ruling out the notion of opening a front between Castilla y León with Catalunya.
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Much of the collection was stolen from its originators and accumulated by the Francoist regime, and was used as a repressive instrument against all sort of opposition groups and individuals: republicans of all signs, unionists, communists, liberals, Freemasons, Basques, Catalans, etc. The return of the original documentation has been repeatedly demanded by the original owners, and ignored by the successive Spanish governments, despite the principles of the International Council on Archives (ICA).